Government Offered Death to Desperate Veteran

A doctor holding a syringe with a stethoscope around their neck

A Canadian veteran suffering from PTSD and a back injury contacted government services for help and was instead offered state-sponsored death, exposing a chilling reality about how far Canada’s euthanasia program has strayed from protecting vulnerable citizens.

Story Snapshot

Veterans Affairs Canada offered euthanasia to a veteran seeking help for PTSD and back injury in 2022, deeply disturbing the individual
Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying program has expanded rapidly since 2016, with over 60,000 deaths and plans to include mental illness patients by 2027
Conservative MPs introduced the “Right to Recover Act” to block the mental illness expansion, warning that treatable conditions shouldn’t result in government-assisted death
Legal experts who initially supported the program now warn about the normalization of euthanasia and difficulty containing expansion once legalized

Government Offers Death Instead of Help

In 2022, a Canadian Forces veteran reached out to Veterans Affairs Canada seeking assistance with post-traumatic stress disorder and a serious back injury. Rather than receiving the support he desperately needed, the veteran was offered Medical Assistance in Dying, the government’s euphemism for euthanasia. The veteran reported being deeply disturbed by this offer, which highlighted a disturbing pattern of government agencies actively suggesting death to vulnerable citizens seeking help. This case represents a grotesque failure of government responsibility to care for those who served their country.

Rapid Expansion of State-Sanctioned Death

Canada legalized euthanasia in 2016, initially restricting it to individuals whose death was reasonably foreseeable due to terminal illness. Within five years, the government expanded eligibility in 2021 to include those whose death is not reasonably foreseeable, opening access to people with disabilities or non-terminal illnesses. Between 2016 and 2023, over 60,000 Canadians received euthanasia, with more than 15,000 in 2023 alone. The practice now accounts for 4.7 percent of all deaths in Canada, demonstrating how quickly state-sanctioned death became normalized once the door opened.

The government removed the 10-day reflection period requirement in 2021, allowing euthanasia to occur as soon as a person passes two assessments. This procedural change eliminated a critical safeguard designed to ensure individuals had adequate time to reconsider such a permanent decision. Current eligibility criteria require individuals to be at least 18 years of age, capable of making health decisions, have a serious and incurable illness or disability, be in an advanced state of irreversible decline, and experience enduring physical or psychological suffering they find intolerable.

Mental Illness Expansion Faces Conservative Opposition

In December 2022, the Canadian government announced plans to expand euthanasia to include individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is mental illness, with an expected implementation date of March 2024. Health Minister Mark Holland delayed this expansion, citing that the system was not ready, and legislation was reintroduced in February 2024 to push implementation to March 17, 2027. Conservative MPs Tamara Jansen and Andrew Lawton responded by introducing Bill C-218, the “Right to Recover Act,” in June 2024 to permanently block this scheduled expansion.

Andrew Lawton launched the “#IGotBetter campaign” to prevent the 2027 expansion, sharing his personal experience surviving a suicide attempt 15 years ago while battling depression. Lawton stated that if the proposed expansion had been in place during his struggle, he would likely be dead now. This powerful testimony underscores the fundamental difference between mental illness and terminal physical conditions: mental illness is treatable, and recovery is possible. Offering death as a solution abandons citizens when they need support most, contradicting basic principles of compassionate governance and respect for human dignity.

Slippery Slope Warning From Initial Supporters

Trudo Lemmens, a University of Toronto law professor who initially supported Canada’s assisted suicide law, now expresses grave concern about the expansion trajectory. Lemmens identified the normalization of euthanasia practice among physicians as deeply worrying, stating that once legalization begins, a significant number of physicians normalize the practice like putting fuel on fire. He questions whether expansion can be easily contained once started, validating conservative concerns about the slippery slope of state-sanctioned death. This admission from a former supporter carries significant weight in demonstrating how the Canadian experiment has exceeded even proponents’ expectations.

Conservative MP Tamara Jansen characterized the proposed mental illness expansion as abandonment, arguing that the government sends a message to struggling Canadians, trauma survivors, and those battling depression, schizophrenia, or PTSD that death is an acceptable solution to suffering. A 2023 Parliamentary committee recommended further expansions, including making euthanasia accessible to children under certain conditions and more available to prisoners. Canada is increasingly viewed internationally as a cautionary example by other countries considering euthanasia legalization, demonstrating how quickly a program marketed as compassionate end-of-life care transforms into normalized state-sponsored death for vulnerable populations. The veteran case proves that government agencies proactively offer euthanasia to individuals seeking other forms of assistance, revealing a systematic failure to prioritize life and recovery.